Jainism a Glimpse

Author(s): Punyadarshanvijay
Publisher: Sanmarg Prakashan

Page 42

Life Forces :
The soul (Jiva) is immortal. When the lifespan is over, it leaves that body and takes a new body elsewhere, but the soul with form or body, possesses "Prāna" or "Life Forces". There are ten life forces. They are the five senses of (i) Touch (ii) Taste (iii) Smell (iv) Seeing (v) Hearing (vi) Bodily Force (vii) Force of Speech (viii) Force of Mind (ix) Capacity of Respiration (x) Duration of life (the number of forces varies in different types of living beings). Destroying, hurting, damaging and obstructing in any manner even in thought or in dream is violence (Pāņātipāta).
Nigoda - other living beings :
In the "Jivavicāra" one of the Jaina Scriptures, it has been elaborately described, where life exists, its lifespan, types of bodies, its sizes, etc. in the cosmos. At the very bottom of this Scale comprising the lowest form of life are sub-microscopic and possess only one sense, that of touch. They are so tiny and undifferentiated that they lack even individual bodies. One body (called Nigod) contains infinite number of souls.
The countless (Asankhya) invisible 'Nigoda Globules' pervade the whole cosmos. Invisible and visible 'Nigoda Globules' in fungus, roots (Potato, onion, etc.) Vast number of Globules will occupy only a pin-point space. Each Globule contains vast multitude of Nigoda bodies. "The Nigoda" has infinite (Ananta) number of souls, whose life span is shortest of 256 "Avalikās" (5825 Āvalikā per second). They die and are reborn in Nigoda for numberless years. One Avalikā has countless "Samayas" - indivisible fraction of time. On the other extreme the longest lifespan